Composting is a gardening technique you can’t help but love. For the pragmatist, it’s a cheap way to generate a useful soil amendment. And for the die-hard environmentalist, it’s a way to turn waste into fertilizer through natural processes. But is compost a good option for your Fiddle Leaf Fig?
Fiddle Leaf Figs can benefit from a nitrogen-rich compost to support growth and overall health. Like other fertilizers, compost provides essential nutrients, but many people prefer compost over commercial fertilizers since compost releases nutrients slowly and won’t result in fertilizer burn.
Fiddle Leaf Figs are famously sensitive to changes in their environment, which is why I try not to repot mine too often. However, the amount of nutrients available in their potting mix is depleted over time, and growth may slow down. In that case, supplementing with compost is a simple and effective way to add in nutrients, so your Fiddle Leaf Fig stays as healthy as possible.
Compost or Fertilizer: Which is Best For a Fiddle Leaf Fig?
Fertilizer and compost both serve the same purpose: to provide plants with essential nutrients. So which one is better? It really comes down to personal preference. Compost is made from organic matter such as food and plant waste that has broken down through decomposition. Fertilizer is a solid or liquid material containing either synthetic or organic ingredients.
Fertilizers are available in slow-release formulas, but typical liquid fertilizers release all their nutrients to the plant at one time and need to be periodically reapplied. On the other hand, compost releases its nutrients into the soil slowly over time. You will need to add more compost occasionally but less often than you would need to fertilize.
The main advantage that fertilizer could have over compost, is that it can be used to target specific goals for a plant, such as strengthening the roots or producing more flowers. The danger of fertilizer is that it is possible to use too much and damage your plant.
In the case of Fiddle Leaf Figs, my preference is to use compost for a couple of reasons. First, Fiddle Leaf Figs aren’t being raised for flowering or fruiting purposes, so a targeted fertilizer isn’t generally necessary. And second, compost is gentler and comes with no risk of fertilizer burn.
What Type of Compost Does a Fiddle Leaf Fig Need?
Typically, plants get all the nutrients they need from their potting mix (which is almost always fortified with slow-releasing nutrients), but over time those nutrients get depleted, and you may want to add compost to replenish them until you repot the plant.
The main nutrient that Fiddle Leaf Figs need is nitrogen. Among other things, nitrogen supports leaf development and overall plant health. Like fertilizers, store-bought composts are labeled with the ratio of the three main nutrients on their packaging so you can choose the balance that suits your plants.
The ratio is called the NPK ratio and indicates the percentage of each of the three macro-nutrients: nitrogen (chemical symbol N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Fiddle Leaf Figs do best with a fertilizer with an NPK of 3-1-2, or 3% nitrogen, 1% phosphorus, and 2% potassium. Any compost that provides this ratio or similar will be suitable for Fiddle Leaf Figs.
Are Coffee Grounds Good for Fiddle Leaf Figs?
The short answer to this question is: no! Although you may see advice about throwing your old coffee grounds into your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s pot to raise the soil’s acidity or provide more nitrogen, this is an imprecise way to add nutrients to your plant and can easily do more harm than good.
If you’ve smelled coffee grounds that have been sitting around for a few days, you can already imagine why this might not be something you’d like to have in your home. Coffee grounds can hold a lot of water, which means they could lead to overwatering and root rot, and they also attract pests.
That said, if you can create compost from your kitchen scraps, coffee grounds are a great addition to your bin. Once they break down along with other organic matter, they can add valuable nutrients that your Fiddle Leaf Figs can use.
Is Fish Emulsion Good for Fiddle Leaf Figs?
Though more like fertilizer than compost, fish emulsion is made from the unusable parts of fish that are left over after the fish is processed. Since the material would otherwise go to waste, fish emulsion is generally an eco-friendly choice as a natural fertilizer. Fish emulsion is also high in nitrogen, making it suitable for use with Fiddle Leaf Figs. It certainly works well, but there can be a few downsides to fish emulsion.
First off, it is a natural product made from fish, and some varieties do have an odor. You can purchase a deodorized version, which I would recommend if you are using it on an indoor plant. Also, fish emulsion can sometimes cause a mold to grow on the surface of your soil. Although this should not harm the plant, many people dislike having a visible fungus in their home.
And finally, in my experience, fish emulsion is quite expensive compared to other products. Although it provides nutrients to a Fiddle Leaf Fig, the plant can’t distinguish between fish emulsion and any other compost, so I find other items on this list more cost-effective.
Are Eggshells Good for Fiddle Leaf Fig?
Eggshells can provide plants with a few of the secondary nutrients used by plants, most notably calcium, but also small amounts of potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Fiddle Leaf Figs don’t particularly need calcium, so adding eggshells probably won’t have much benefit for this plant. On the other hand, eggshells are free and would otherwise go to waste, so if you want to use them on your Fiddle Leaf Fig, it will not cause any issues. Just be sure you prepare them correctly.
Eggshells need to be cleaned entirely of any egg protein and then dried thoroughly (you can bake them or just let them air dry for a few days). Then crush the eggshells into a powder that you can spread across the top layer of the soil. The finer the powder, the more quickly the calcium will be available to your plant.
Are Epsom Salts Good for Fiddle Leaf Fig?
When I first heard that some people treat their plants with Epsom salts, I was pretty surprised. I’ve always heard that salts and plants don’t mix, but apparently, some types of plants benefit from an Epsom salt treatment in certain situations. Epsom salts are made up of magnesium and sulfur, and magnesium can support plants to take up the essential nutrients they need from the soil.
Epsom salts can help treat soil with a magnesium deficiency, but they can be harmful if used in soil that already has plenty of magnesium content. Unless you want to go to the trouble of testing each of your pots for magnesium levels, my advice is to skip Epsom salt for your Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Vermicompost and Fiddle Leaf Figs
Vermicompost is a type of compost pile that uses worms and soil microbes to break down waste into usable compost. The main benefit of vermicomposting is that it can be done indoors and is faster than traditional composting. It results in compost that is richer in nutrients and allows for better soil retention.
Determining the NPK of homemade compost can be tricky since it can vary based on the quality of the organic waste that is used, but it should be suitable for use with Fiddle Leaf Figs even if the ratio varies slightly.
Vermicomposting produces a type of product that is commonly called worm castings or black gold. If you prefer not to have worms in your house or just don’t want to go to the trouble of creating a vermicompost set up, you can purchase worm castings to use on your Fiddle Leaf Figs.
Personally, worm castings are my go-to compost for Fiddle Leaf Figs and other tropical houseplants. I prefer this product since it’s organic, I understand exactly what’s in it, and it provides all the nutrients my plants need.
Other Compost Types
Liquid compost
Sometimes called compost tea or worm tea, these liquid composts can be used as a soil drench during your regular watering routine or can be applied as a foliar spray.
Homemade compost
Composting can be done indoors or outdoors, on a small or large scale. It uses your kitchen scraps and yard waste to create a rich organic material that you can use on indoor or outdoor plants. This method takes some time and effort and allows you a lot of control over the process. Plus, it allows you to reuse your food and garden waste instead of throwing it away.
Fish manure
Similar to fish emulsion, fish manure compost is made from fish droppings instead of the fish itself. Comes in both solid and liquid forms.
Composted manure
Aside from fish manure, there are other compost products made from the manure of (usually) cows or chickens. I do not recommend these types of compost for indoor plants.
How to Use Compost on Fiddle Leaf Figs
It is best to use compost during the active growing season since this is when your Fiddle Leaf Fig will be using the most nutrients to create new growth. Compost breaks down over time and adds nutrients to the soil slowly.
The easiest way to use compost is to add a thin layer to the soil’s surface or to mix it in the top two to three inches of potting soil. If you find that there’s not enough space in your pot, you can remove some of the old potting mix from the top of the pot (being careful not to damage any roots) and then replace it with compost.
Choosing The Best Compost for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle Leaf Figs are not too picky when it comes to compost, which means you have plenty of options for the type you want to use. There are pros and cons to each one, but the main considerations are:
- NPK ratios
- Price
- Sustainability
- Odor
- Ease of use and storage
My favorite option is vermicompost and there are several options available for purchase online like this one. Other types of compost I like are Fish Compost Teas and Worm Compost Teas.
If your plant is looking a little weak or you haven’t repotted it in several years, compost could be a great option to supplement the nutrients it needs. And while there are a lot of choices across a lot of price ranges, I usually find that keeping things simple works best for my Fiddle Leaf Figs.